So cold
by Iraoftheseven
Summary: Dr. Alison Rose is a new intern at Arkham asylum and a league of shadows member. She is sent to assist Dr. Jonathan Crane in the making of his fear gas and learn how to make it, then dispose of the league's pawn. But she starts to feel for the good doctor and his other half, Scarecrow. Let the games begin as she makes her way in Gotham as Crane's friend and assistant.
1. Prologue

Prologue

She sighed while going through the trash can, her clothes ratty and falling a part. She was so hungry and could feel her stomach growling. She knew she signed up for this life but she left before anyone else could hurt her. She looked at a puddle and saw a grime covered girl. She wore discolored blue jeans and a faded black shirt, the beanie on her head used to be a red color. Now it was more of a light pink color. She knew she wouldn't last this winter unless she joined a gang or something. She had been on the streets for three months. "Hey kid," a guy in a green over coat said and handed her an apple. "it's not much but we homeless got to stick together." She nodded and smiled at him, she knew him from the shelter.

"Thanks Tony," she said sitting next to him in the alley, he was a good guy who fell on hard times. Lost his wife and his job, then finally his house. He drank most of the time and ate at the shelter. "I need to get a thicker jacket if I'm going to live past this winter," she said shivering and breathed on her hands to warm the up. She spoke good for a six year old who only had a fifth grade education. She was a part of the foster system months ago till her new father got a little handsy and started to beat her. She figured she could survive better on her own.

"You are a good kid," he said and yawned sliding down the wall, his alcohol temporarily forgotten as his mind went cloudy. She shivered and watched the cars drive by in this dirty city and felt anger enter her chest. She was stuck in a horrible life and hated everything, she threw the core against the wall as her stomach rumbling did nothing for the pain. She sighed and walked away from Tony, walking farther into the shadows. Most kids would be scared to walk around so late but she was mostly ignored, except by social workers and police. Most pimps and whores left her alone as she walked by, seeing her as just another street urchin. Most assumed her mom was some whore who died or that she was abandoned to the streets.

She sighed while watching the whores and pimp as they sold their wares, she wondered briefly if that would be her fate later. Addicted to nasty stuff and forced to sell her body for money. The pimps looked at her with disdain and a few yelled at her to keep walking. She ignored them and stuck her hands in her hoodie. This was Metropolis for you, like any great city in America. She found herself over looking the ocean and sat on the stone bridge watching the black water. "I wonder what it would feel like to drown," she whispered to herself. "Would it hurt?" She sighed and looked at the stars, counting as many as she could.

"I hear death is painful," a voice behind her said and she jumped looking his way. He was in a black suit and was bald, he had a beard and a weird guy all in black following him. "Why are you here child?" he asked and she shrugged looking at the water. "Do you truly wish to die that badly?" he asked with a smile. Her eyes where interesting pools of emotions, the color a pale green and he found himself interested in the child. She was obviously only six or seven years old and had be on the streets awhile by the state of her clothes.

"I'm just tired living day to day wondering if I will eat or freeze," she said simply. "I don't want to go in the system anymore either, my last family was horrible." He was impressed, she was well spoken for a child and had quick eyes, even when pained by hunger. He debated on taking the child with him for the next stage of his plan. She was alone and desperate to find warmth and a place to belong. "What's your name mister?" she asked watching him look her over. He smiled and decided why not, it was good to take them at a young age for training.

"I am Ras Al Ghul and I have an offer for you young one," he said crouching down to her height, his dark eyes crinkling in mirth.

-twenty years later

Alison sighed while watching the news in her one bedroom apartment, she had recently moved to Gotham for the next stage of the plan. Her hair was pale blond and was in a bun behind her head, her pale green eyes where cold and mirthless. She had the look of someone who has killed and would not be afraid to again. "Be a psychiatrist they said," she hissed. "it would be fun they said. Ugh I swear this is an annoying idea." She scowled and looked at the certificate of achieving her doctorate. Dr. Alison Rose, valedictorian of Metropolis university and a doctor at the age of twenty six. She sighed while looking at the book on her desk. A book from Dr. Jonathan Crane and his study of fear. Ras Al Ghul told her to get to know this man and his work.

"You will join this man in making the fear gas, Alison," he had said to her as the plan came forward and why she received a doctorate in psychology the first place. She she could be sent to protect the leagues newest pawn and his making of the fear gas. She sighed again and looked out at the stormy sky, a cold and cruel smile stretching across her lips. In a year or so this city would be destroyed and everyone dead, then off to her next assignment. She had already been added to Arkham asylum as their newest intern, the turnovers at the place where startling. She had met Jonathan Crane briefly but tomorrow night she would join Ras Al Ghul in a conversation with him and reveal herself to him. She sighed and walked towards her room of her dingy apartment, you would think the league could afford more comfortable apartments but oh well.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter one

Blue flowers

Alison stared while standing behind Ra's al Ghul in her full league of shadows armor. Her face was fully covered and she took her place by another assassin. She smiled as a man in a suit started to approach the three of them. Ra's al Ghul stood, his dark hair gleaming under the lamp light. When she was taken by the man twenty years ago it was just his decoy and when she met "Henri Ducard" he liked her spirit and her apathy. He trained her along with his daughter and trained her in educational pursuits as well assassinations. She smiled behind her mask taking in the form of Dr. Jonathan Crane, an interesting man if a tad bit obsessed with fear. He was tall maybe 182 centimeters or a little higher. He had wavy dark brown almost black hair and blue eyes hidden behind glasses. He looked bookish if a little feminine. "Hello Dr. Crane?" R'as al Ghul spoke with a smile on his lips. "How is your progress coming?"

"It is good," he said coldly and to the point. His voice told Alison many things about him and the way he held himself. He was a man obsessed with _control_ and whatever that entailed. Why he was obsessed with it she had no clue but probably some horrible past that no one knew about. Crane felt one of the "ninja's" eyes on him and found himself staring into pale green eyes, they where almost gray from being so pale but he noticed one thing about this body guard. It was a woman and he raised a fine eyebrow at Ra's al Ghul, he didn't know they had female members. "What can I help you with Ra's al Ghul?" he asked crossing arms in front of him, tilting his head in confusion.

"I have brought you a gift," he said and snapped his fingers, the pale green eyed assassin moved closer and stood right in front of Crane. He looked at her for a moment and back at the formidable assassin leader. When he first got the offer he laughed but once he showed him what those blue flowers could do his mind went ballistic with the possibilities. To make fear and being able to summon it up made it all the more worthwhile. Seeing Crane's confused look Ra's al Ghul continued: "This is to be your new assistant in your experiments and the making of the fear gas." He nodded at her and she took off her mask revealing her face. It took Crane only a moment to recognize her and his eyes widened in recognition.

"Dr. Alison Rose at your service," she said bowing her head in greeting, a cruel smile spreading across her lips. Crane recalled her interview with the hiring manager at arkham asylum. She was calm, beautiful, intelligent, and charming from what the interviewer said. She got the job after he reviewed her file and gave her a call. She acted so happy and enthusiastic, wanting to "help" people. "I am to help in the making of fear gas and your experiments on Arkham Asylum's patients," she continued as he soaked it in. "I am also to protect you if you need it, in case Falcone gets a little touchy like most mob bosses do." Crane looked at Ra's al Ghul who nodded and Crane sighed watching the girl.

"Very well," he said straightening his tie, Narcissism she recognized and a desire for control. She found it amusing that he was in charge of Arkham asylum when he himself was probably insane. She almost felt bad for having to kill him after Gotham laid in ruins with everyone killing themselves. "We stay late on Tuesdays and Thursdays to make more gas and test it on the patients," he said with a sneer. "Hope your stomach can handle it." His tone of voice changed and she giggled behind her glove clad hand.

"I have tortured someone before, Dr. Crane," she said coldly, her eyes glinting cruelly in the light. "At least this time I will not have to change clothes or clean up a bloody mess. I will see you tomorrow at work, have a pleasant night." She bowed to Ra's al Ghul who nodded and dismissed his operative. He watched Dr. Jonathan Crane with a smile which Crane returned. He knew they where testing each other out and perhaps sending a woman to work with Crane was two-fold. With a woman who was intelligent and driven would perhaps give Crane pause and perhaps _enjoy_ her presence. Unless of course Crane was more attuned to men but he doubted it. His reports of the good doctor was he was basically asexual, never talking with either gender and focusing on school or work where permitted. He never even had one night stands with available men or woman. His genius as well as his solitary habits are what drew his interests.

"Alison is one of my most intelligent operatives," he clarified to the doctor, a smile clinging to his lips. "She will listen to you and do what you say, but she is to learn from you as well. The league will require the fear gas again once our business is concluded and she's our instrument of choice. Enjoy your year doctor, for we will strike soon. You two try to have fun." Crane nodded and watched the ninjas depart in the shadows and took off his glasses, running a hand through his hair.

**Life just got interesting didn't it Johnny-boy** a voice resounded in his head and he scowled. His other half was getting antsy and wanted out. Now was no the time for that and couldn't stop his shutter that wracked his form as he took control. "**Time to have some fun tonight,**" he said his tone of voice changing as he walked off in the night whistling, his body language changing as Scarecrow took control of his body. Scarecrow smirked wide as he made his way home. **Soon he would enjoy their fears and helpless screams again.** Scarecrow chuckled and looked at the full moon above Gotham.

-Next Morning

No amount of coffee in the world made Alison Rose a morning person and her sour look at anyone who crossed her way on the way to her new office made many people scramble away. "I hate mornings," she hissed slamming her door shut and plopping down on her chair. Was that blood on the carpet? She looked at the roof her back to the door while sipping her coffee. She heard his breath even though she never heard his footsteps. "Hello Dr. Crane," she said before he said anything. "How are you this morning?" she turned around from her chair and his look made her pause.

He was psychoanalyzing her of course and she blinked, leaning back relaxing. "I am well," he said crisply, his tone even. "How are you this fine morning?" Crane watched this girl with interest, she acted so differently then from last night. This Alison was eccentric and quirky, full of sarcastic humor and a charming personality. Last night she was so cold and cruel, her attitude that of a hardened criminal and serial killer. He wanted to know what made his new assistant tick and mostly what her _fear_ was. Mostly Scarecrow wanted her fear but he watched from the recesses of Crane's mind.

"Fine is stretching it," she said with a laugh. "I am very much so not a morning person and no amount of coffee or caffeine will fix that." She laughed with ease and Crane found himself infuriated with the masks. Which one was the real one? Hardened assassin and killer or sarcastic and quirky doctor? Crane cracked a smile and nodded, his face quickly returning to expressionless. Alison smiled at his concentrated look as he looked her over. She wondered what he was so curious about but shrugged it off as she sipped her coffee. One thing she did love was some white chocolate mocha lattes. The best thing ever invented in her opinion next to toilet paper and indoor plumbing.

"Are you ready to meet your new patients?" he asked with a smirk and she nodded standing up. He gave her some easy ones, mostly the minor security filled with manic-depressants and mild schizophrenia. All easy to manage and talk to in some degree, he choose his experiments closely. Those with no familial attachments and mostly well grounded to reality, he needed good record of course of how _his_ gas effected them. He was anything if not meticulous and smiled pushing his glasses up. "You will have three for right now as you get used to the asylum," he added watching the green eyed doctor with interest. "Welcome to Arkham Asylum, Dr. Rose."

-noon, lunch time

Alison leaned back in her chair looking at the tiles, so far it had been easy. Ask the questions right down the responses and record it in there file. She never cared much for other people considering her secret job. She helped the League of Shadows balance out civilizations and kill thousands of people, she had to stop caring about people in order to survive. The league was her home for many years till she graduated high school early under an alias. One that would pass the most stringent of background checks. She was born to a well off family and spent most of her life traveling with them, home schooled and taught self defense. She came back to America for college that was fully paid for and became a psychiatrist by the young age of twenty six. No one would guess she was once a scared little girl living on the streets. She snapped back from her thoughts as a throat cleared.

Jonathan Crane stood leaning on her shut door and she smiled slightly, she had to admit he was pretty cute in an effeminate and slightly creepy way. She heard many guard and receptionists call him gay for showing no interest in woman and them. Of course they where whores so she couldn't blame the doctor for not wanting-. "Are you hungry?" he asked cutting off her trail of thought then. Her stomach grumbled at the thought of food, the traitor. "Ill take that as a yes," he said and motioned his head for her to follow. "You did really well with Anthony and Maria," he said and walked by the girl, ignorant or uncaring as her eyes looked over his form.

"They are good people," she said with a smile and watched Dr. Jonathan Crane, her partner was an interesting man. "So you normally take new employees out to lunch?" she asked with a smirk and Crane shrugged, no emotional reaction going through his face. Jesus it was like talking with a brick wall. Crane smiled slightly at her exasperated look but scowled as her arm slipped through his. "We will be best friends by the end of this partnership I bet," she whispered in a low tone. "But you need to be more open. We need to act like best buds so no one suspects why I am hanging around you so much."

"Of course my dear," he said with a smirk his eyes jumping between her eyes and where she was touching him. He had to squash down the desire to flinch away from her touch. She smiled and let him go, silent for the rest of the trip to the eating place for employees on the grounds. Which he was thankful for the silence as he watched her out of the corner of his eye, he hoped she wouldn't get in his way. As they sat down, sandwiches in hand he ignored the other employees. He may have been the director of arkham but they gossiped like a bunch of school girls. Good thing he was intimidating when he needed to be, he had Scarecrow to be thankful for that. "So what do you do for fun Dr. Rose?" he asked feigning interest with nothing else to do.

"I read," she said with a smile. "I love to read anything, fiction or nonfiction. I am also a skilled violinist but I only play in my free time. I don't get out much and I am kind of boring to be completely honest." Crane tilted his head at her words and chuckled slightly.

"I sincerely doubt that, Dr. Rose," he said with a smile twisting his lips. "I doubt your life is that boring." Alison smiled at the game they where playing as everyone whispered amongst themselves as their stiff and cold director hit is off with a young new intern. Many of them placed bets on what would happen. Alison found it widely amusing as did Scarecrow.


End file.
